GayGamer has more follow-up on yesterday's news of outcry over anti-gay slurs during the closing performance at BlizzCon 2011. They recieved an apology from Mike Morhaime, the president of Blizzard who is also apparently a member of Level 90 Elite Tauren Chieftain, the band that performed at the closing. Here's word:

Dear members of the Blizzard community,

I have read your feedback and comments about this year's BlizzCon, and I have also read the feedback to the apology from Level 90 Elite Tauren Chieftain. I'd like to respond to some of your feedback here.

As president of Blizzard, I take full responsibility for everything that occurs at BlizzCon.

It was shortsighted and insensitive to use the video at all, even in censored form. The language used in the original version, including the slurs and use of sexual orientation as an insult, is not acceptable, period. We realize now that having even an edited version at the show was counter to the standards we try to maintain in our forums and in our games. Doing so was an error in judgment, and we regret it.

The bottom line is we deeply apologize for our mistakes and for hurting or offending anyone. We want you to have fun at our events, and we want everyone to feel welcome. We're proud to be part of a huge and diverse community, and I am proud that so many aspects of the community are represented within Blizzard itself.

As a leader of Blizzard, and a member of the band, I truly hope you will accept my humblest apology.

- Mike Morhaime President, Blizzard Entertainment

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Bhruic wrote on Oct 29, 2011, 07:56:Right, but I think his point was that what you are doing right now is exactly what you are claiming they shouldn't be doing. You shouldn't be complaining about this. You shouldn't be getting worked up about a non-event like this. You are, to use your words, being an over-sensitive cretin.

It's hard to support an argument that boils down to "I'm complaining that you shouldn't be complaining".

You completely missed the point I was making. I was RESPONDING to people that were overreacting, saying that it was unnecessary and counter-productive. The original video was a 'non-event' but became an event when GLAAD got involved and politicised it. My point stands.

It's interesting that so many people in this thread will see racist comments as a bad idea, but don't extend the same attitude toward homophobic comments. Many of the posters here just can't fathom that "gay" and "fag" are as awful as racial slurs in the minds of many, many people. The fact that events like this get so much attention and upset so many people is mystifying to them, yet if we were talking about a company showing a video with racist ranting, there would be far less outrage at the outrage.

As has already been covered, the original footage was clearly satirical and the video that Blizzard used censored out any offensive content to convey a different message. And racial language CAN be used in humour and be defended, as I highlighted in a previous post. If you hold up race or sexuality and say that they aren't appropriate for humour or are somehow different then that only serves to perpetuate their use to discriminate. By treating them as everyday words that you can use without fear of condemnation you take away the bitterness associated with them. Calling someone a nigger or queer should not be any more offensive than calling someone stupid. Political correctness causes more problems than it solves.